"gorgeous, classic designs include show-stopping details that will make you want to include more than one in your updated wardrobe"--Vogue Knitting, Fall 2013

Friday, September 18, 2015

What a Pill!

I've fielded a few queries in the last few days regarding Cascade's Ecological Wool and Eco+, the wools I've recommended for both Glenora and Petrova. (They work well for Harriet's Jacket too, but at a different gauge.) I love Ecological Wool and Eco+, but some knitters have concerns about the way in which they pill. First off, yes, they pill. BUT, all wool pills, especially soft wools, and one of the things I love about Cascade's Eco line is its softness. It's lightly spun and airy, making for a comfy, lightweight garment. Lopi pills too, even though it's fairly scratchy (or "crunchy", as one knitting friend describes it), but that's because it's really just unspun roving.
What to do? I suggest that you invest in one of these.

It's a little lint shaver. The same model used to be sold by Dritz, the sewing supply company. It looks as though Knitpicks may have bought the rights to it, because that's the only source for these that I can find these days. I like the little ones, not the great honking big ones that I've occasionally come across. I have two, in case one breaks, and I keep a supply of AA batteries to keep them running. These little gizmos do a fantastic job of refreshing pilled knits. After the first few cleanups, the garment won't shed very much. Keep that in mind.
And, oh yeah, don't do what I did once, and use a lint shaver on cotton. The fibres aren't meant to be knicked off like wool. I destroyed a baby sweater once that way, and had to re-knit the whole thing, which was intended as a gift. Live and learn, as they say.